Monday, 3 December 2012

If asked who had written a new book on Welsh genealogy I doubt many people would have Bruce Durie near the top of the list. He's well known for his book Scottish Genealogy, now in its third edition, and as former Course Director for Genealogical Studies at the University of Strathclyde. I enjoyed a presentation he gave "Inheritance in Scotland – testaments and retours", at TNA last year. It's available as a podcast. Scotland yes, but Wales?

You can see Durie's plan of attack in the table of contents:

Preface

An Introduction to Genealogical Research

The Welsh – A Genealogist’s Perspective

Welsh Surnames

Administrative Areas and Local Records

The Welsh Censuses of 1841 to 1911

Statutory Registers of Birth, Marriage and Death Post-1855

Parish Registers Pre-1837

Nonconformist and Other Church Records

Welsh Emigration and Immigration

Taxation and Representation

Welsh Heraldry

Dates, Money and Measure

Occupations and Professions

Military Records

Welsh Language for Genealogy

Organising Your Research

Degrees of Kinship

Envoi
Index

Things are approached very much from a Scottish genealogical perspective with considerable detail on Scottish records and how they differ from the Welsh/English. It gets a bit much. A chapter heading mentions "after 1855" which has no significance for Wales but is when civil registration started in Scotland. The are more than 100 pages mentioned in the index for Scotland or Scottish.

The longest chapter, on the census, introduces a case study which is carried on later in the book and helps draw resources together.

Canada or Canadian are mentioned on 18 pages but if you're looking for insight into the Welsh in Canada this is not the resource. The chapter on Welsh Emigration and Immigration to Canada rates a quarter page, America (the US) 5 1/2 pages, Australia 6 pages and Patagonia half a page.

He also ventures into areas rather unusual for a genealogy book, including units of measure, coins and currency. It makes the treatment a bit of a miscellany, fun to browse in the same way as the Guinness Book of World Records.

If you can accept the approach and despite problems which should have been fixed in editing, the treatment is comprehensive and content sound.

The book is not due for release in North American until February, but can be ordered directly from the publisher The History Press for mailing anywhere.